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Tropical storms in Hawaii add to UFC fighters' worries

As Tropical Storm Iselle closed in on Hawaii last week, some residents rushed to stock up and food and water in preparation for what was expected to be the worst storm to hit the islands in more than 20 years.

As Tropical Storm Iselle closed in on Hawaii last week, some residents rushed to stock up and food and water in preparation for what was expected to be the worst storm to hit the islands in more than 20 years. On the island of Oahu, Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Russell Doane had a very different concern.

"I was just worried about if I could still train," Doane tells USA TODAY Sports. "I already had water at home. I had food. What I needed was training."

Doane had good reason to be concerned. With a fight against Iuri Alcantara slated for a Sept. 13 UFC Fight Night event, he couldn't afford to miss vital training sessions waiting for a storm to pass. While other Hawaiians huddled inside, Doane and his teammates at Hawaii Elite MMA headed to the gym.

"All of us have fights coming up in the next few weeks," says Doane, who trains alongside fighters such as UFC featherweight Max Holloway, who take on Mirsad Bektic on Aug. 23. "Back-to-back every weekend, it seems like there's a Hawaiian on the card. So of course we need to get in there and train."

In Honolulu, where Doane lives, the damage was relatively limited. They were hit with "lots of wind and rain," according to Doane, but nothing as severe as what descended on the big island of Hawaii, where UFC middleweight Brad Tavares grew up.

For Tavares, getting to the gym wasn't an issue. He left Hawaii for Las Vegas several years ago, deciding, he says, "that that was what I needed to do for my career," since training partners and options were both limited on the island. But with a fight against middleweight mainstay Tim Boetsch (17-7 mixed martial arts, 8-6 UFC) coming up at "UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Saint Preux) on Saturday night (Fox Sports 1, 10 p.m. ET) in Bangor, Maine, Tavares (12-2, 7-2) says his thoughts were with his family back home.

"It hit the island that I'm from pretty hard," says Tavares, who recounted seeing photos of a friend's house that had been reduced to "basically just a wall" by a fallen tree.

"I was just concerned for my family," Tavares adds. "I was a little nervous after it hit initially because I lost contact with my mom for a little bit. They couldn't get any cell-phone reception, and I didn't know what was happening for them."

As difficult as it was to focus on the upcoming fight, Tavares says, he ultimately realized he had little choice. With an ocean separating him from his family, there wasn't much to do but keep his mind on his work and hope for the best. When he did finally hear that his family was safe and sound, he says, "that was definitely a relief."

With Hurricane Julio weakening and sweeping off to the north of the islands, it seems the danger has passed for now. Tavares' new concern, he says, was whether his family would have electricity and cable TV restored in time to watch his fight on Saturday.

"But I'm pretty sure that even if they don't have power, they'll make it happen somehow," Tavares says. "They're going to want to watch this."